Do You Need A Better Plan?

January 2, 2014
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Maybe I should just say, I need a better plan.

Okay, okay. I just need a plan. A plan for the morning. I don’t have one. Well – wait – unless you count the one about boiling the water for my morning French-pressed wake up elixir. Straight up. Black. Strong.

Yeah, I should have more of a plan than –
Get up.
Boil water.
Make coffee.
Drink coffee.
Don’t burn mouth.
After I get the coffee down, it’s pretty much haphazard. What does haphazard actually mean, anyway?

Haphazard:
happening or done in a way that has not been planned
synonyms include: random, hit-or-miss, slapdash, jumbled, careless, irregular,
all over the place (haha – very funny)

Ouch. Guilty as charged. And sorry I asked.

You know, I used to be an organized person. When the kiddos were young and still at home, it seems I accomplished so much more. And I know I had a plan for each and every day. What happened?

Little by little, I got comfortable. Life got easier in many ways. And I got – dare I say it? – lazy.

Why is it that as the kids got older and either left home or got self-sufficient, not requiring as much from me, I got lazy?

I can even remember realizing a few years ago the privileged season of more time to myself quickly approaching. I looked forward to it and thought about how much I’d be able to accomplish. But I didn’t make a plan.

I was soon to arrive at every mom’s Promised Land.

The Promised Land which flowed with children sleeping through the night, waking and getting their own breakfast, doing their school and chores without too much prodding. Children who didn’t need a babysitter. Children who could safely drive themselves to events or work. Children who didn’t care anymore if I left the house without them.

I am a mom who has practically worked herself out of a job.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not sad about this in any way, shape, or form. It’s the way is supposed to be. We raise our kids so they can be godly, self-sufficient, productive members of society, and able to move out of the house.

But I forgot to remember how I came to be in this place of privilege. Reminds me of something I read somewhere….

Deuteronomy 8:7-18 (NLT)

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land
of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills.
It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.

It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking.
It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills.

When you have eaten your fill,
be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

But that is the time to be careful!
Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God
and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.

For when you have become full and prosperous
and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else,

be careful!

Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you
from slavery in the land of Egypt.

Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness
with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry.

He gave you water
from the rock!

He fed you
with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors.
He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.

He did all this so you would never say to yourself,
‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’

Remember the Lord your God.

He is the one who gives you power to be successful,
in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

Forgive me, Father. I forgot. I forgot that You sustained me when I was sleep deprived. I forgot that You gave me wisdom when I had no clue how to discipline those kids. I forgot that You taught me how to teach them. I forgot that You provided when the bank account was slim. I forgot that You kept me calm when they struggled with their faith. I forgot that You protected us from ourselves. I was never hungry or without clothes or shelter. I was never alone.

So, here I am, Friends. January 2, 2014 and I need a plan.

I haven’t been into New Year’s Resolutions for some time now, preferring to make goals. I have to admit, though, that I’m kind of afraid of making goals. Well, I take that back. I’m not afraid to make goals. I’m afraid of failing at the goals I make.

Oh my gosh – all of a sudden I’m wondering what I’m doing? Writing all this, knowing I’m going to hit the “Publish” button pretty soon and I’ve bared my soul. Now you all know that Calista’s only definite plan for the day is to get up, make the coffee, and drink it. After that, it’s hit-or-miss.

Well, I will hit “Publish” and I want you to know I’ve written in first person on purpose, because this is my problem, not yours. This morning I am only preaching to myself.

I hope it encourages you.

I am thankful for God’s Word and specifically Deuteronomy 8:7-18 (NLT) today. Did you catch all the provisions of God?

A good land
Flowing streams, fountains of water, gushing springs
Lacking nothing, being filled

Having been rescued
Led through the great and terrifying wilderness
(come on now, can anyone else relate here?)

He gave you water
He fed you

He gives you power to be successful

I am undone by the goodness of our God.

And I am finished wasting my time.

I’m getting a plan.

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Of Playing Dress Up and Forgetting Not to Blink

October 10, 2013
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There have been so many years of watching my four girls play dress up. Daughters transformed into princesses simply by putting on a discarded lacy slip or a costume. Tangled hair yanked into submission under the authority of a sparkling headband. A little bit of blush. A touch of lip gloss and let the twirling begin.

It didn’t matter there was neither music nor prince. The girls would primp and dance and giggle all for the joy of simply being what they were – little girls playing dress up.

Tonight brought a different kind of dress up. This one was not pretend. One sister a bride.
The other her sister’s bridesmaid. Scraps of cloth are replaced with taffeta and tulle and satin. These gowns are definitely not from the toy box or rescued from the bag of discarded clothing.

I still see the faces of my little girls in these full grown princesses playing dress up. And I always will. It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly it seems the years have flown.

In only six weeks, my third princess daughter will dress up once again. She will be joined by her sisters and friends. There will much primping and twirling and giggling. But this next time, it won’t be a game. There will be music and there will be a prince.

I guess I just needed to get all sentimental for a minute. Seeing them try on their dresses took me back in time and I realized that I forgot not to blink. How does it happen so quickly? The growing up. The getting married. The moving out. Is it really almost here?

Wasn’t it just yesterday she got her driver’s license? Or a week ago that she went to camp for the first time? Or only last month that I held her in my arms, a tiny bundle all wiggly and crying?

Don’t blink. Don’t.Ever.Blink.

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Coconut Lime Bread

July 30, 2013
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My, oh my – where have you been all my life?

I don’t normally share recipes, but this one is too good to keep to myself. This yummy bread was in the March, 2013 edition of Better Homes and Gardens. I tore the page right out my magazine (yes, I still tear and keep recipes on magazine pages) and put it on the kitchen counter.
Before heading to the store I checked out the recipe to see if I needed to pick up ingredients. Lime marmalade. Everything else I had in my pantry.
Walmart – nope. Target – nope. Trader Joe’s – uh uh. World Market – nada.
There was no lime marmalade to be found in my city.
Not to be outwitted, I googled lime marmalade and found a couple sources, but with shipping costs not worth it for a loaf of quick bread.
Next stop, lime marmalade recipes. Sigh – mostly labor intensive and by now I had lost interest. Into the folder of “Recipes To Try” and tucked away on the shelf. (Yes, I still keep recipe pages torn from magazines in folders on my shelf.)
Out of sight, out of mind. Until….
Minding my own business, passing through Osceola MO, sampling a few delicious cheeses in their store I wandered past a shelf full of jams, jellies, preserves, AND marmalade! Could it be true? Yes! The illusive, nowhere-to-be-found lime marmalade right there in little ol’ Osceola MO. I snatched up my treasure and took it home.
Now, if only I could find where I put that recipe!
I know, silly, right? If I had “pinned” it or saved it in my recipe box on the Better Homes and Gardens website the recipe would be handy. Or if I organized my folders! Sheesh!
Alright, enough suspense already. Here’s the recipe straight from the BHG website:

Coconut-Lime Bread

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup coconut milk or milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
3/4 cup lime marmalade, melted*
1 tablespoon lime marmalade, melted
1/4 cup chip or flake coconut, toasted

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl beat egg with a fork; stir in coconut milk and melted butter. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in 1 cup of toasted flaked coconut.
3. Spoon one-third of the batter into prepared pan. Spoon half of the 3/4 cup marmalade over batter. Repeat with remaining batter and marmalade, ending with batter. Using a thin metal spatula or table knife, swirl the marmalade through the bread.
4. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap with plastic wrap; store at room temperature overnight before slicing.
5. Before slicing, brush top of loaf with 1 Tbsp. melted marmalade. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup toasted coconut.

Melting Marmalade

Spoon marmalade into a 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup. Heat 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on 100 percent power, stirring every 30 seconds until marmalade is a spoonable consistency. (If softening only 1 to 2 Tbsp. of marmalade, heat just 20 to 30 seconds.)

Toasting Coconut:

To toast, place coconut in a shallow baking pan. Toast in a 350 degrees F oven 5 to 7 minutes or until it starts to brown, stirring once. Watch carefully, coconut can quickly go from golden to burned.
nutrition facts (Coconut-Lime Bread)
Servings Per Recipe 14, cal. (kcal) 292, Fat, total (g) 12, chol. (mg) 25, sat. fat (g) 9, carb. (g) 45, Monosaturated fat (g) 2, Polyunsaturated fat (g) 0, Trans fatty acid (g) 0, fiber (g) 1, sugar (g) 30, pro. (g) 3, vit. A (IU) 166, vit. C (mg) 1, Thiamin (mg) 0, Riboflavin (mg) 0, Niacin (mg) 1, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0, Folate (µg) 40, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0, sodium (mg) 214, Potassium (mg) 106, calcium (mg) 66, iron (mg) 1, Mark as Free Exchange () 0, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
After popping my loaf into the oven, I finished reading the recipe to find in #4 the part about wrapping it in plastic wrap and letting it sit overnight! What?!? You mean I have to wait until morning?
Here is what the bread looked like after turning it out of the pan.

THIS is what it looked like in the morning after the finishing touches!

 

Totally worth the wait – believe me!

 

The texture is similar to cake made from scratch, so moist.
The toasted coconut gave a nutty contrast to the tart lime marmalade laced throughout the bread.

I think it would be equally delicious made with orange marmalade, don’t you? Just might have to give it a try.

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Make a Bud Vase / Votive Holder

July 22, 2013
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My daughter, Steph, and I tackled a little project the other evening.
This is a great way to reuse baby food or other small jars and scrap wood.
We followed this great tutorial, so I’m not going to go into a ton of detail here.
If you want to make your own and have questions, follow the link.
We laid out all our supplies on the dining room table and gave the baby snacks and toys.

This was Steph’s first time handling a drill.
Measuring to make sure we had the clamps centered and evenly spaced was a bit tedious.

 

The little clamps are ready for jars!

Although it can be hung, I opted to prop my new votive holder / bud vase against the wall.
Isn’t the little kitty teapot so cute? She’s a recent antiquing treasure.

Doesn’t it cast some pretty shadows?

 I think at some point I will hang it on the back porch, but for now…

…I like it in the kitchen where I can see it most of the day.
My new wall decor is making me smile.

 

Thank you for stopping by today!!
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How to Make a Brick Walkway

July 4, 2013
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I am extremely excited to share a big project with you today!

We finally put to use the bricks our neighbor gave us … for free … and made a lovely brick walkway out front. I did a little research online before starting, then we jumped on in. Here’s how it went.

1. We measured the width and length for the walkway, using stakes and twine to mark the area.
I would recommend deciding on the pattern for your bricks before you decide on the width of your path. This will insure that your bricks will fit inside the designated area.
*ahem* I may or may not have done that myself, but would highly recommend you do it.

2. We went 15 feet out from the bottom of the stairs in order to make a nice boundary for the extra parking. The existing blocks were removed before the digging began.


3. Brian and Silas dug out a nice bed for the walkway. You will want to make it deep enough to make your bricks even with the grass level, so take into account the size of your bricks and the layer of sand you will spread before laying the bricks.


4. After all that digging you should take a break. It’s hard work.


5. Before proceeding with the next step, call the crew foreman to inspect your work.


6. To prepare for laying the bricks, spread a nice bed of sand about an inch thick in your path. We worked in sections of about a yard each. As you can see, I placed the bricks fairly close together. Wiggle the bricks into the bed of sand to make them fit securely.


7. Here’s a look at the progress. I decided to alternate my main pattern with a random pattern because there weren’t enough bricks to do the entire thing with my main pattern. I love the patchwork look!
Continue laying bricks until your new walkway is filled.

8. After we finished laying the bricks, we filled in the sides with dirt. I used a two by four to pack it down tightly.


9. Next, dump generous shovels full of sand on your new fancy walk and rub it in using a broom. The goal is to work in as much sand as possible between the cracks. To aid in settling, after the first layer is done lightly spray with water before applying another layer of sand. This part of the process took quite a while to get enough sand in the cracks, so take your time.


10. We were expecting some rain, so I left plenty of extra sand on the surface.
Over the next couple weeks, I swept more sand into the cracks every few days. The hot summer sun has baked the sand into a nice hard seal around the bricks.

TaDa!!! New brick walkway!


Just for fun I decided to make a raised bed at the end of the walk. It seemed like there needed to be a destination at the end, ya know?

I stacked two layers of these funny-shaped bricks and filled it with potting soil and dirt that was dug out to make way for the brick path.


And now, here are entirely too many pictures of my new brick walkway.
I am totally infatuated!


To me, it looks like the brick walk has been in front of the house since it was first built in 1890!


I hope you find these instructions helpful if you’re thinking about installing a brick walkway in your yard. The entire process took several hours of work for three days with my husband, son, and myself doing the labor.

Happy Independence Day!

I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
Psalm 119:45 NIV

God Bless America!

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Old Dresser + Chalk Paint = TV Stand

April 9, 2013
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Here is my latest project….

I started with this little gem that was rejected and stored in the shed loft.
One of the top drawers was broken, so I removed them both to make room for electronic gadgets.

After removing the drawer pulls, I gave it a good cleaning before applying the chalk paint.
The chalk paint recipe I use is this:

3 parts latex paint (I have found a paint with primer works best)
1 part plaster of paris (diluted with an equal amount of hot water)

For example, if I use 1 1/2 cups paint, I would need 1/2 cup plaster of paris that has been diluted with 1/2 cup hot water. Mix these together thoroughly and you’re ready to paint!

For this job I only needed two coats. I like to use a foam roller for the larger flat surfaces and a brush for the corners and curvy places.

When the paint was dry I protected the surface with SC Johnson Paste Wax. If you can’t wait to wax, you may end up rubbing off some of your paint, giving it a light distressed look. By giving it some time to dry the paint should stay in place. I think I waited about 30 minutes after it appeared to be dry before waxing. There was one small edge where the paint rubbed off a tiny bit.

The color is Valspar’s Rattan Palm. Because of the chalk paint mixture, it turned out a bit lighter than the actual paint. I covered the inside with a neutral paint sample I found on the oops-paint shelf.


Brian drilled some holes for wires.

We braced the shelf where the dvd player and Wii will sit with a couple boards from the scrap pile. Brian cut them to fit and we glued them to the sides of the dresser and under the shelf.

Okay – here is what the TV sat on before….
…all chrome and glass contemporary-ness that I never really liked.

Here it is today!

I love how the gadgets rest so neat and tidy inside the cubby.
The drawers are filled with remotes, game controllers, games, manuals, and other assorted junk no one ever wants to look at everyday! The color is about three shades darker than the walls, so blends in nicely.

This project cost me less than $20!

I’m such a geek I just sat on the couch without the TV on to stare it for awhile.
So pretty.

P.S. Did you notice the little boo-boo I made? I thought it was so hilarious I decided to leave it and see if anyone points it out.

Thanks for stopping by today!

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Mustache Bash Baby Shower

November 13, 2012
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Last Sunday was a big day at our house. 

To celebrate the coming of my oldest daughter’s fifth baby, but first boy baby, we threw a

Mustache Bash Baby Shower

A quick Google and Pinterest search brought up scores of great ideas.
Here is the invitation I made using PhotoBucket.
I simply uploaded a blank jpeg to this online photo editing program and
had a blast using their free tools to make it pretty.
Please excuse the unattractive areas where I covered our personal info,
but you get the idea.

Games & Activities

Everyone filled out one of these I made and printed up on cardstock.
We played Name That ‘Stache….

How many can you guess?
…and Pin the ‘Stache on the Baby.

Besides mustaches we had cut outs of bowties and hats.
Funny how the mustaches ended up in the bowtie spot.

Decorations

Little Man Onsie Banner

I printed images found online to iron-on transfer fabric, then applied them to onsies.
They are hung on heavy yarn with clothes pins.
 
 
 

Bowler Hat Mobile

This plastic bowler came from U.S. Toy and cost around a buck.
Again, yarn and construction paper shapes for fun.
My son attached it to the beam using sticky tack.

Food

Okay – you’re going to have to forgive me, but I had an epic blogger fail.
There are no pictures of the food! What was I thinking?
Well – I wasn’t thinking. I was busy.
Anyway…here is a description of what we ate:
 mustache-shaped sugar cookies decorated with green sugar crystals or chocolate sprinkles
mustache-shaped chocolate lollipops
popcorn tossed with crumbled chocolate chip cookies, green M & M’s,
all drizzled with melted white chocolate & allowed to cool
crackers and mustache-shaped cheese (I used the cookie cutters to cut the cheese slices)
bbq sauce soaked l’il smokies

Pictures

Of course, we took lots of pictures (just not of the food apparently).
We had props available for the photo shoot:
mustaches on stewers, funny glasses, a cane, and a couple hats.
Hope you don’t mind looking at pictures of my family and friends! 🙂

 

Here’s the lovely momma-to-be, my daughter, Sarah.

 

I was totally excited to find this frame at Goodwill for $5!
It has a brown velvet ribbon around the center and fancy curlicues in the corners!
I feel another project coming on….
My Dad and Sarah
My Dad and Sarah
Sisters!
Sisters!

 

 

No, the party didn't get too wild. This is our bonus-daughter who stopped in on her way to work.
No, the party didn’t get too wild. This is our bonus-daughter who stopped in on her way to work.
Baby's Grandma, Cousin and Aunt
Baby’s Grandma, Cousin and Aunt
Baby's Grandma, Cousin and Aunt
Baby’s Grandma, Cousin and Aunt
Me and my friend.
Me and my friend.

 

And here are just a few of our friends…

My sis-in-law & my stepmom - Baby's Gigi :-)
My sis-in-law & my stepmom – Baby’s Gigi 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you enjoyed the party.
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Painted Nightstand

October 26, 2012
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31 Days of Order – Day 26

I am happy to show you the little nightstand I painted. Here is what it looked like before.

I picked up an oops quart at Lowe’s in a lovely berry knowing at the time I could certainly use it for something! This is the first time I tried painting furniture, so I kept it simple. It seems that practically everyone is using chalk paint, which I had never heard of before I started blogging. Awhile back I wrote down a chalk paint recipe from somebody’s blog. My apologies to whoever it belongs to; I honestly can’t remember where I found it. The recipe is as follows:

1 part dry plaster of paris + 1 part water and mix together, then stir into 3 parts paint of your choice and mix well. It blended like a dream. My paint was a semi-gloss latex.

I removed the hardware. After cleaning all the surfaces, I lightly sanded the entire piece.

I used a good angle brush for the corners and curvy parts, and a foam roller for the flat areas. The first coat was very light, so I went over it again for full coverage. The paint went on excellently, covered well, and dried quickly. I let it sit over night, then the next day I used Johnson’s paste wax for a nice sheen.

Now – I know that practically every chalk paint project I have seen gets a light sanding after all this for a distressed look. Well, please don’t stone me, but I don’t really like how that looks. So, I didn’t distress.

Without further ado, here’s my redone piece….

The little knobs I picked up at Pier One on clearance. $0.98 each! Oh yeah!!

So, there you have it! I have moved it into my room and will continue putting together
the pieces for my own little study nook in my room.
Thanks for visiting today!
* * * * * * * * * * *

 

This post is part of my 31 Days of Order series. See the rest of the posts here.

To find other bloggers also writing for 31 Days this month on a variety of topics, click here.

Linking to….

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About me

Alwyn is the Director and acting Chief Instructor for The IKMF – Thailand and has been teaching Krav Maga since qualifying as an IKMF instructor in 1996. Alwyn has taught Krav Maga to thousands of people around the world in regular classes, courses and seminars and is one of the most enlightening and entertaining and skilled instructors anywhere.

The early years of Krav Maga as featured on ‘Members only’

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